Lynch still mulling bid for Kerry's Senate seat

1/3/13 12:20 PM EST

Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) is giving "serious" thought to running in the special election to replace Sen. John Kerry.

“I am giving serious consideration to a run for the United States Senate and am grateful for the support and encouragement I have received in recent days,” Lynch said in a statement emailed to POLITICO late Wednesday night. “As we await Senator Kerry's confirmation hearings, I will continue to weigh my options and decide the best way to serve our communities.”

Lynch would join Rep. Ed Markey, who announced his intention to run last week, on the Democratic side. Former Sen. Scott Brown is widely expected to run on the Republican side in an election that will likely take place in late spring.

Though Kerry, Vicki Kennedy and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee threw their support behind Markey late last week in an effort to clear the field for him, other Democrats most often mentioned for the race – at this point, Lynch and Rep. Michael Capuano – have both said they’re still open to running.